Patio/lawn-scaled Cup and Ball Game

ABSTRACT

A new competitive indoor/outdoor skill game, based on a smaller table-top version. The patio/lawn-sized cup and ball game allows for various modifications and improvements to earlier versions. The game is played on a scale similar to traditional outdoor games, such as horseshoes and washers.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/997,478, filed Jun. 3, 2014, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This disclosure generally relates to outdoor, competitive games of skill used for leisure at group venues.

2. Description of the Related Art

Various games of skill are a societal diversion of ancient providence and a common global theme that also have had a variety of offshoots. Some games involve accuracy, power, balance, focus or a combination of these traits to determine a winner. In the 1950's, students at Dartmouth College created a game which involved hitting a table tennis ball with a paddle, or tossing it into a configuration of beverage cups on the opposite side of a table tennis table. Since then, the game has remained basically unchanged, barring rule modifications, in an effort to standardize the game.

Generally, the reach of the game was limited in scope, because of the scarce locations to acquire the necessary equipment, and to a shared tradition which involves using alcoholic beverages as part of the game. These factors have limited the game's popularity to a small subset of general society.

The portability of the game is hindered by the use of a table as a playing surface. The state of the marketing model to date has been to capitalize off of different variations of table and table-like constructions.

SUMMARY

Because of these and other problems in the art, a need exists for a game with the accuracy and focus skills which are the core of this game, which could be scaled to a size and modified for a shift in scale, which would also modify its adaptability to be played without a table, on a scale similar to other competitive outdoor skill games, such as horseshoes and washers.

Described herein are methods and systems for adapting the core elements of this game into a game which is sealed to be played on a patio, lawn or other flat surfaced venue.

The game uses cups (100), usually six to ten per team, in a triangular or other configuration. The cups are 50 to 500% larger than the typical drinking cup used to play the traditional game.

The cups may contain a lip around their brim, of varying size and angle, to increase the difficulty level of the game.

The game uses spherical balls, made of plastic or some other material, and of a size to be proportional to the cups, generally in a range of its diameter being equal to half the width of the cups. (103)

The groupings of cups are placed at a distance far enough to make the act of tossing the balls into the opposing cups challenging. (200)

Water or some other liquid or solid granular material can be placed in each cup to stabilize it and provide an impact-reducing surface for the incoming balls.

In an embodiment of the game, each side uses two playing balls.

In an embodiment of the game, each player gets a set number of tosses per turn.

In an embodiment of the game, for team play (two or more per side,) each teammate gets a set number of playing bails and a set number of throws per turn.

In an embodiment of the game, players can shoot overhand or underhand, depending on preference and tactics.

In an embodiment of the game, when a player tosses a ball into a cup, the cup is removed from the group.

In an embodiment of the game, if a player bounces a ball off of the playing surface or another player, they are awarded an additional cup of their choice.

In an embodiment of the game, out-of-play cups are removed to an area outside of the area between the groups of cups.

In an embodiment of the game, opposing players can block opponent's ball after the first bounce off of playing surface, any other object or player. In an embodiment of the game, player's feet must be behind their last row of cups when shooting.

In an embodiment of the game, when blocking, one foot can move forward, but one foot must stay behind the last row of cups.

In an embodiment of the game, each side may get a set number of requested changes to the geometric pattern formed by the grouping of cups.

In an embodiment of the game, if a ball in play lands in a gap between cups, ail adjacent cups are removed. In an embodiment of the game, extra balls may be assigned to each side, in order to speed up play.

In an embodiment of the game, the winner may be determined by the side that is first to remove all of their cups from play.

In an embodiment of the game, the winner may be determined by an assignment of numbers to the cups, with a manner of record keeping used to determine a winner at a set goal.

In an embodiment of the game, an opposing player or team may have an opportunity to negate the transport of their opponent's ball into the final cup, and the end of the game, by making a successful toss of their ball into a cup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides a simplified side view of an embodiment of the game's equipment, showing their relative size to each other.

FIG. 2 provides a simplified overhead view of a possible configuration of the target cups. 

1. A competitive game of skill comprising: modifications that change a table-top game into a laws-type game. This creates a game that can be played over a much wider venue. a scaling of play that produces a wider theater for audience viewing, a larger playing area that produces more exertion than the older table-top version.
 2. The game of claim 1, wherein the modifications also produce a set of equipment which has a higher portability than the older table-top version.
 3. The game of claim 1, wherein the modifications also produce a game that more closely mimics the universal act of throwing a spherical or hand-sized object into-a cylindrical container.
 4. The game of claim 1, wherein the modifications produce a game, which operates at a higher level of force and arena of play than previous versions.
 5. The game of claim 1, wherein the modifications, including enumerating the cups, also expands the variety of win determinant factors. 